Health insurance to be mandatory for Hajj and Umrah

Around 2.5 million people perform the Hajj every year, putting enormous strain on Saudi Arabian medical services.

Saudi Arabia is close to finalising a mandatory health insurance scheme for pilgrims visiting the kingdom's holy cities.

Latest estimates reveal Saudi Arabia welcomes 2.5 million pilgrims during the Haj period, and a further seven million visitors performing Umrah over the course of a year.

The pilgrimages place considerable strain on the country's healthcare system. According to the Ministry of Health, hospitals in Mecca administrated care to more than 11,000 religious travellers in 2005. A total of 812,000 pilgrims were treated in all the holy cites during the same period.

A mandatory health insurance system was first proposed in 2003 in response to the rapidly increasing numbers of pilgrims.

State-owned insurance company Tawuniya has devised a policy known as Manasik, which costs pilgrims 100  Saudi riyals ($26) for one month's health insurance. A network of insurance brokers from other Gulf states has also been established to sell the policy.

However, the Saudi government has not yet agreed to make insurance mandatory.

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